EVALUATION OF ANTHELMINTIC AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF EPIPRINUS MALLOTIFORMIS LEAF EXTRACTS

Objective: Development of anthelmintic resistance and high cost of conventional anthelmintic drugs led to the evaluation of medicinal plants as an alternative source of anthelmintics. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anthelmintic activity and antioxidant activity of the leaves of Epiprinus mallotiformis extract using adult earthworm, Pheritima posthuma. Methods: The leaves extracts of Epiprinus mallotiformis at different concentrations of 20 mg/mL, 40 mg/mL, 60 mg/mL, 80 mg/mL and 100 mg/mL were tested, which involve determination of paralysis time and death time. Results: It was found that the extract exhibited significant dose dependent anthelmintic activity. Piperazine citrate 10 mg/ml as standard reference. Whereas antioxidant activity of the extracts were performed by four method, DPPH  free radical scavenging activity, H2O2 scavenging activity, Reducing power assay and Metal chelating activity using ascorbic acid as a standard. The antioxidant activity was found more in the methanol extracts show comparable activity with ascorbic acid. In the metal chelating activity the petroleum ether show maximum activity when compare with chloroform and methanol. Conclusion: The leaves extracts of Epiprinus mallotiformis possess antioxidant and anthelminthic property. Further investigations on in vivo antioxidant activity need to be carried out to unmask its mode of action. Keywords: Epiprinus mallotiformis; anthelmintic; antioxidant; leaf extracts

Inhibition of hepatitis C virus replication by herbal extract: Phyllanthus amarus as potent natural source

Hepatitis C virus infection is a major health problem worldwide. Developing effective antiviral therapy for HCV is the need of the hour. The viral enzymes NS3 protease and NS5B RNA dependent RNA polymerase are essential enzymes for polyprotein processing and viral RNA replication and thus can be potential targets for screening anti-HCV compounds. A large number of phytochemicals are present in plants, which are found to be promising antiviral agents. In this study, we have screened inhibitory effect of different plant extracts against the NS3 and NS5B enzymes of hepatitis C virus. Methanolic extracts were prepared from various plant materials and their inhibitory effects on the viral enzymes were determined by in vitro enzyme assays. Effect on viral RNA replication was investigated by using TaqMan Real time RT-PCR. Interestingly, Phyllanthus amarus root (PAR) extract showed significant inhibition of HCV-NS3 protease enzyme; whereas P. amarus leaf (PAL) extract showed considerable inhibition of NS5B in the in vitro assays. Further, the PAR and PAL extracts significantly inhibited replication of HCV monocistronic replicon RNA and HCV H77S viral RNA in HCV cell culture system. However, both PAR and PAL extracts did not show cytotoxicity in Huh7 cells in the MTT assay. Furthermore, addition of PAR together with IFN-alpha showed additive effect in the inhibition of HCV RNA replication. Results suggest the possible molecular basis of the inhibitory activity of PA extract against HCV which would help in optimization and subsequent development of specific antiviral agent using P. amarus as potent natural source. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Synthesis, structural characterization of nano ZnTiO3 ceramic: An effective azo dye adsorbent and antibacterial agent

Nanocrystalline meta-zinc titanate (ZnTiO3) ceramic was prepared using a self-propagating solution combustion synthesis (SCS) for the first time using urea as fuel. The product was calcined at 800 °C for 2 h to improve the crystallinity. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy were used to characterize the final product. PXRD results show that the ilmenite type rhombohedral structure was formed when the sample was calcined at 800 °C for 2 h. Adsorption experiments were performed with cationic malachite green (MG) dye. ∼96% dye was adsorbed onto nanocrystalline ZnTiO3 ceramic at pH 9 for 30 min of the contact time. The optimum adsorbent dose was found to be 0.45 g/L of dye. Langmuir–Hinshelwood model was used to study adsorption kinetics and first order kinetic model best describes the MG adsorption on ZnTiO3. Antibacterial activity was investigated against gram negative Klebsiella aerogenes, Pseudomonas desmolyticum, Escherichia coli, and gram positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria by agar well diffusion method. Nanocrystalline ZnTiO3 ceramic showed significant effect on all the four bacterial strains at the concentration of 1000 and 1500 μg per well

Synthesis, characterizations, antibacterial and photoluminescence studies of solution combustion-derived α-Al2O3 nanoparticles

In this work, we report a novel, economical, low temperature solution combustion synthesis (SCS) method to prepare α-Al2O3 (Corundum) nanoparticles. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), BET surface area and ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) measurements were used to characterize the product. Antibacterial studies were examined against gram −ve Klebsiella aerogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas desmolyticum and gram +ve Staphylococcus aureus bacteria by agar well diffusion method. The α-Al2O3 nanoparticles showed substantial effect on all the four bacterial strains. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements under excitation at about 255 nm show that the alumina nanoparticles have emission peaks at 394 and 392 nm

Evaluation of in vivo wound-healing potential of 2-4-(2,4-dimethoxy-benzoyl)-phenoxy]-1-4-(3-piperidin-4-yl-propyl) -piperidin-1-yl]-ethanone derivatives

Series of 2-4-(2,4-dimethoxy-benzoyl)-phenoxy]-1-4-(3-piperidin-4-yl-propyl) -piperidin-1-yl]-ethanone derivatives 9(a-d) and 10(a-d) were synthesized in good yield. The synthesized compounds were characterized by H-1 NMR, LC-MS, FTIR and elemental analysis. All the compounds were screened for in vivo wound-healing activity by incision and dead space wound models on Swiss albino rats. Significant wound healing was observed in 10b and 10d treated groups as also the epithelialization of the incision wound was faster with a high rate of wound contraction in these groups. The tensile strength of the incision wound was significantly increased in 10b and 10d compared to the Nitrofurazone, the standard skin ointment. In dead space wound model also the weight of the granulation was higher indicating increase in collagenation. The SAR correlation studies revealed that the thioamide functional linkage and electron withdrawing groups influence the wound-healing activity. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved

Synthesis of medicinally important n-trimethylene dipiperidine sulfonamides and carboxamides containing a substituted benzophenone moiety - An antibacterial agents

A series of novel substituted 2-[4-(2,4-dimethoxy-benzoyl)-phenoxy]-1-[4-(3-piperidin-4-yl-propyl)-piperidin- 1-yl]-ethanone sulfonamide (9a-h) benzamides (10a-h) were synthesized in order to determine their antibacterial activities and possible structure- activity relationships to improve therapeutic efficacy. The synthesized compounds were characterized by 1H-NMR, FTIR and elemental analysis. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated in vitro for their efficacy as antibacterial agents by agar well diffusion and micro dilution method against standard strains of Gram-positive (staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29737, Bacillus substilis NCIM 2010, Streptococcus pyognes NCIM 2608) and Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 20852, Klebsiella pneumoniae MTCC 618, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922) bacteria. Among the synthesized new compounds (9c), (9d), (9e), (9f), (10a), (10c), (10d), (10e) and (10g) showed potent antibacterial activities compared to the standard drug. In particular, all the tested compounds had potent inhibitory activity against B. subtilis and E. coli

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Not AvailableThis research work explores the productive performance of local paddy landraces under different fertility levels as well as the role of microbial inoculants in improving the yields of paddy landraces and reducing nutrient additions by increasing nutrient use efficiency under changing climatic scenarios in coastal areas. The landrace Padmarekha recorded taller plants, more tillers per hill, higher total dry matter accumulation other than grain and straw yields besides better uptake of N, P2O5, K2O, S and Zn. Further, nutrient management with the application of 100% of the recommended doses of fertilizers combined with biofertilizers including Azospirillum + Bacillus megatherium var. Phosphoticum + Frateuria quaratia + Thiobacillus thiooxidans + Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza recorded higher growth and yield traits in addition to improving the uptake of nutrients and partial factor productivity. Thus, it can be concluded that the application of 100% of the recommended dose of fertilizer, inoculated with biofertilizers, would be helpful in increasing the efficiency of applied nutrients in addition to improving yield and nutrient use efficiency.Not Availabl

Productivity of Paddies as Influenced by Varied Rates of Recommended Nutrients in Conjunction with Biofertilizers in Local Landraces

This research work explores the productive performance of local paddy landraces under different fertility levels as well as the role of microbial inoculants in improving the yields of paddy landraces and reducing nutrient additions by increasing nutrient use efficiency under changing climatic scenarios in coastal areas. The landrace Padmarekha recorded taller plants, more tillers per hill, higher total dry matter accumulation other than grain and straw yields besides better uptake of N, P2O5, K2O, S and Zn. Further, nutrient management with the application of 100% of the recommended doses of fertilizers combined with biofertilizers including Azospirillum + Bacillus megatherium var. Phosphoticum + Frateuria quaratia + Thiobacillus thiooxidans + Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza recorded higher growth and yield traits in addition to improving the uptake of nutrients and partial factor productivity. Thus, it can be concluded that the application of 100% of the recommended dose of fertilizer, inoculated with biofertilizers, would be helpful in increasing the efficiency of applied nutrients in addition to improving yield and nutrient use efficiency